Riviera: The Promised Land
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| Riviera: The Promised Land | |
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| Developer(s) | Sting |
| Publisher(s) | Atlus |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable |
| Release | June 28, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Role-Playing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Riviera: The Promised Land (Yakusoku No Chi Riviera - 約束の地リヴィエラ) is a video game which was originally produced in 2002 by Sting Entertainment for the WonderSwan and then introduced later to Nintendo's Game Boy Advance in 2004 which Atlus released in America in 2005. A 2006 port for the PlayStation Portable is currently in the works, and will feature 50 new CG sequences, improved graphics and full voice acting. It combines a point-and-click adventure formula with RPG battle elements.
This RPG is also quite unique in the U.S. because it is also classified as a renai, or an RPG with dating sim elements, as shown by the multiple endings the hero could achieve with his supporting game characters, and the decisions made leading up to that ending.
The use of voice acting is also notable; while not extensive, Riviera goes beyond most other Game Boy Advance titles in amount.
Riviera: The Promised Land is a very different breed of RPG, mostly seen as "A strange but entertaining twist on the RPG standard". Most of its fans feel that the game was originally destined to be a sleeper hit due to its strange take on RPGs, but instead it grew in popularity because if its uniqueness. Its originality and well-written spin on what would have been a very cliché plotline has given Riviera a strong starting fan-base.
Rivieria kept a place at the number 1 spot on 1UP.com's top 10 GBA games list throughout the majority of summer 2005.
Backstory
The story of Riviera: The Promised Land uses various terms from Greek and Norse mythology, a likely source of the inspiration for the plot.
The Holy War - 1000 Years Ago
Riviera: The Promised Land takes place in the Divine World, a world where the land takes its form in a number of continent-sized islands floating high in the sky, with no visible landform beneath them. Within exists Asgard, a realm run by the all-powerful gods, and Utgard, a land overrun with corrupt demons. It is said in legend and folklore that a long time ago, the world of Asgard was invaded by the demons of Utgard, which incited the holy war known as Ragnarok. Asgard was not well-defended, and the demons easily began claiming the land as their own. In desperation, the gods of Asgard broke an ancient covenant and created the Grim Angels, powerful warriors with black wings, each armed with a sacred weapon called a Diviner, who entered the fray and reclaimed Asgard. They, alongside the gods, marched into battle, relentlessly defeating the enemy where they once stood, and finally the rulers of Utgard were defeated. The gods of Asgard, however, had used the last of their abilities, and they began to disappear. Before they left, they sent their powers to Riviera, an island floating at the edge of the Divine World, leaving the powers in the protection of the Sprites, the human inhabitants of Riviera.
A thousand years pass. Signs of the demons' return have been found in Riviera, and after a millennium of silence, their existence threatens another holy war. The Seven Magi, representatives of the now-deceased gods, make their choice: they plan to initiate the Retribution, a divine punishment, an unknown power that would change Riviera forever. And they assign new Grim Angels to carry out that duty.
The Retribution - Current Times
Riviera: The Promised Land follows the story of Ein, the youngest and most inexperienced of the three Grim Angels in the game. He, along with his partner Ledah and his cat-shaped familiar named Rose, have been assigned by Hector, one of the Seven Magi, to enter Riviera and initiate the Retribution. Ein and Ledah set off to Heaven's Gate, where they encounter numerous demons who have already broken into Asgard.
Characters
The Grim Angels
Grim Angels are only vaguely described throughout the game; there is little concrete knowledge about them. Their mission is to pass the "will of the gods" to every sinner that they can find. They have black wings and carry powerful weapons called "Diviners"; they must sacrifice something precious in order to obtain the latter. Ein is accompanied by Rose, his familiar, a being whose purpose can be inferred to be a guide. Ein is the only Grim Angel to be shown with one. Originally the gods "broke an ancient taboo" to release the Grim Angels, but it now appears that the Seven Magi can create them.
Ein - "The Wingless Angel"
Japanese Name: Ecthel (エクセル: ekuseru)
Ein is one of the three Grim Angels, who gave away his black wings in order to receive his Diviner, Einherjar. He is an average teenage boy--not too talkative and not too shy--but he is quite naive, an attribute that annoys both his partner Ledah and his familiar Rose. He is a kind, caring person and noble at heart. His preferred weapon, besides his Diviner, is a sword, but he also shows proficiency with rapiers, spears and staves.
Ledah - "The Solitary Angel"
Japanese Name: Ledah (レダ: reda)
Ledah, an aggressive warrior and one of three Grim Angels in the game. He is a strong, loyal, and very solitary teenager--he enjoys working alone rather than with the help of others. He follows the order of the Seven Magi without question, reason being when he received his Diviner, Lorelei, he lost all of his emotions, which helped keep him from reconsidering the orders given to him. He prefers Lorelei over all other weapons. At his death he regained his emotions; how this occurred is inexplicable but right before he died, he shed a tear.
Fia - "The Kind Fencer"
Japanese Name: Fiaa (フィア: fia)
Fia is a teenage girl with a nurturing personality. She is, like Ein, kind and noble, sometimes stern and serious, and she has skill with cooking and mixing herbs. She is extremely mature, despite being the youngest of Ein's four female companions. Sometimes Fia shows signs of shyness towards others, especially Ein, for whom she nurses a soft spot. Her preferred weapon is the rapier, however she is also a skilled healer with magic staves and tomes and can wield bows effectively as well.
Lina - "The Energetic Archer"
Japanese Name: Lyuri (ルゥリ: ruri)
Lina is a very obnoxious but very sweet teen girl; surprisingly she is older than her "roommate" Fia though still younger than Ein. She enjoys eating, going on adventurous treasure hunts, and playing lively games with her friends, but at (rare) times she can be a very serene and thoughtful girl--her fascination for beautiful landscapes is undeniable. Constantly she gets into situations in which she embarrasses herself, especially around Ein, with whom she hosts a secret infatuation. She boasts an amazing level of skill with the bow and arrow especially for her age, though she is also skilled with claws and magic tomes. Her hand-eye coordination also gives her impeccable aim with stones and grenades.
Serene - "The Brave Reaper"
Japanese Name: Serene (セレネ: serene)
Serene is an outgoing teenage girl, the same age as Ein. She is an Arc, unlike the majority of the inhabitants of Riviera, who are Sprites. She has large, batlike wings on her back, which sets the Arcs apart from the Sprites of Elendia. She likes flying around to amuse herself, and she really enjoys hanging out with her friends. However, this specific aspect of her personality suffered a great pain--her entire village, entirely inhabited by Arcs, was destroyed by the Grim Angel, Malice. Every Arc living there was relieved of his or her soul down to the last child, and Serene was the only survivor. She escaped, but Malice tailed her and attacked her later. She was almost killed, but was then rescued by Ein, whom she has had a crush on ever since. A surprisingly strong girl, she shows great skill with the scythe, but can also fight well with spears and claws.
Cierra - "The Scarlet Witch"
Japanese Name: Cierra (シエラ: shiera -> siera)
Cierra is a kind, thoughtful witch in late adolescence or early adulthood, the eldest, who possesses amazing magical powers. She always looks toward the bright side of things, albeit, a bit clumsy a times, and is rarely seen without a gentle smile on her face. She rescued Rose after she and Ein were separated, though she fed her a potion that removed Rose's ability to talk. For enjoyment, she studies and plays with magic. She can often be found in the many forests of Riviera, searching for ingredients to create elixirs. She can execute tremendous attacks with magic staves, but she can also use whips and magic tomes, in combat.
Diviners
The Diviners are the sacred weapons of the Grim Angels. They must be made from Orihalcon, and possess immense power. These sacred weapons grow in strength with their masters, and can only be used effectively by angels.
- Einherjar - The yellow Diviner Einherjar is a holy-based sword used by the Grim Angel Ein. After having its power awakened by Ursula, Einherjar is used by Ein to perform the Execution Level skill "Disaresta". The name Einherjar comes from the Norse myth of the chosen warriors Einherjar.
- Lorelei - The red Diviner Lorelei is a fire-based spear used by the Grim Angel Ledah. Ledah refuses to use any other weapon. While in your party, Lorelei's Execution Level skill is "Lost Seraph". Later, Ledah uses "Crimson Correges" as Lorelei's Execution Level when fighting Ein, then "Rose Kreuz" in his "Awakened" form. Lorelei's name seems to have come from the German legend of the rock Lorelei.
- Skadi - The blue Diviner Skadi is an ice-based axe used by the Grim Angel Malice. According to the Magi Hector, Skadi is not a real Diviner, but a fake. Despite this, Malice can perform two Execution Level skills: "Trie", and, in her "Awakened" form, the more powerful "Trie Noir". Her Blue Sophia is not an Execution-level skill (The Japanese game marked ExL moves by having 告死 (kokushi, or Notice of Death) in front of the names of ExL skills, and "Blue Sophia" has no such marker). Skadi's name seems to have come from the Norse myth of the snow giantess Skadi.
- Longinus - This sacred spear is a divine weapon after which all Diviners are modeled. A single attack with this weapon is more powerful than the strongest overdrive from a normal Diviner. Unfortunately, this ancient weapon is very fragile. Its name comes from the Spear of Longinus.